LeBron James screamed when asked about his reaction to becoming the oldest player in the NBA in a video that went viral last week. Now, Los Angeles Lakers star James, 38, is getting feedback from a player who understands his situation.
Her name is Pat Conner, and at 91 years old, she is the oldest player in the Grandma Basketball League.
“Yeah, I’m a little older than LeBron,” Conner told USA TODAY Sports about being the oldest player in the league. “It’s a huge honor.”
What can an NBA superstar learn from a 5-foot-2 white-haired woman who plays for the ICT AeroBelles in Wichita, Kan., and shoots an underhand shot?
Well, James has talked about extending his career long enough to play with his oldest son, 19-year-old Bronny. Playing with her daughter Debbie, 64, and occasionally her daughter Becky, 67, Conner shows how it’s done. (She also has four children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.)
“She had no fear,” Debbie said.
Pat Connor interestingly added: “When I’m on the court, a lot of people don’t know how old I am and they play like I’m a 60-year-old man, and I laugh to myself because I’m like, ‘Oh, They really think I’m a threat and I’m 91 years old.’ ”
Grandma League doesn’t allow dunks
Conner posted a video of her grandma-style free throws. Then she sent herself a video of herself shooting a hook shot.
“I wanted to send you a dunk but that’s not allowed in the UK,” she texted, followed by a laughing emoji.
The Grandma Basketball League was founded in 2005, two years after James’ rookie season in the NBA. The league has a minimum age of 50, 450 players and 42 teams from 10 states.
Unlike James, Conner was not a five-star recruit coming out of high school.
“They wouldn’t let us play in high school,” she said.
James was on the cover of Sports Illustrated while in high school. Conner went straight to the NBA, but he took a different path.
She said she started playing basketball in the intramural league at the University of Kansas and once scored 38 points. She said she averages about four points per game in the Granny Basketball League, which plays a six-on-six format with three players in each frontcourt and three in the backcourt.
How did LeBron become the oldest?
On July 28, LeBron became the oldest player in the league. That’s when Udonis Haslem, 43, announced his retirement after 20 NBA seasons.
Of course, James, who turns 39 in December, is more than just a veteran of the league. He is one of his best players and ranks ninth in scoring this season (28.9 points per game) with 19th Assists (6.8 assists per game) and 34th Rebounds (8.3 rebounds per game). He also finished 19thth He was selected to the All-Star Game consecutively and led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals.
When asked about his longevity, James said part of it stems from “if you want to be great at something, you have to put in the work.”
Conner texted: “LeBron is a man!! I want to see him shoot a granny shot from beyond the arc.”
Like LeBron, Conner values hard work.
“By the way,” she texted, “I competed in the 50m and 100m walk/run events at the Kansas Senior Games in September.” She also said she started doing CrossFit in August and used a curved Biceps emoji to emphasize this point.
How long are these two going to play?
After the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals last season, James said he would consider retirement.On his decision to return to 21Yingshi After the season, James said: “I feel like I still have a lot to give.”
“My goal is to play until I’m 100 and still be on the court,” Conner said.
She added via text message: “I say to the young guys, keep your mind active, stay on the court, play the game we all love and give it your all!”
Any advice for young guys like LeBron James?
“Keep playing as long as you can,” she said.
